REMOTE PUMPING STATION MONITORING

• US 20090187382A1
• Filed: 01/23/2009
• Published: 07/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Multitrode Pty Ltd. (Xylem, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Multitrode Pty Ltd. (Xylem, Inc.)
• Inventors: Manthey, Robert, Conroy, James, Doktor, Jeremy
• Granted Patent: US 11,029,679 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/188
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2223/06 Remote monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0267 Fault communication, e.g. human machine interface [HMI]

Abstract

The present invention relates to a monitoring method for monitoring a remote pumping station in communication with a computational device via the Internet. An embodiment of a method may comprise requesting, using the computational device, pumping station information from the pumping station. The pumping station information may then be received by the computational device. The pumping station information may be in the form of a pumping station profile. In one embodiment, information from the pumping station profile is displayed on a display of the computational device. The information displayed would typically comprise the water level, and indicators of the activation set points and deactivation set points for the pumps.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a remote pumping station in communication with a computational device via the Internet, the method comprising:

requesting, using the computational device, a pumping station profile from the pumping station, the pumping station profile comprising a plurality of parameters relating to the pumping station; and

receiving, with the computational device, the pumping station profile.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein requesting comprises periodically requesting the pumping station profile from the pumping station.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein requesting comprises requesting the pumping station profile responsive to the receipt of user input.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pumping station profile comprises any one or more of the following parameters:

the mode of operation of the pumping station;

the number of pumps of the pumping station;

the activation set point of each pump;

the deactivation set point of each pump;

detectable faults associated with each pump;

level alarms based on levels measured by each level sensor;

the number of wells of the pumping station; and

detectable faults associated with the pumping station.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising updating, using the computational device, the pumping station profile.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein updating comprises previewing, using the computational device, a number of possible pumping station profiles;

and selecting one of the possible pumping profiles.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising sending, using the computational device, the updated pumping station profile to the pumping station.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising displaying information from the pumping station profile on a display of the computational device.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein displaying comprises displaying the water level, and indicators of the activation set points and deactivation set points for the pumps.

10. A computational device configured to:

request a pumping station profile from the pumping station, the pumping station profile comprising a plurality of parameters relating to the pumping station; and

receive, with the computational device, the pumping station profile.

11. A response method for a remote pumping station in communication with a computational device via the Internet, the method comprising:

receiving, from the computational device and with a pump controller of the pumping station, a request for a pumping station profile, the pumping station profile comprising a plurality of parameters relating to the pumping station; and

sending, from the pump controller and to the computational device, the pumping station profile.

12. A response method as claimed in claim 11 wherein, prior to sending, the method further comprises re-configuring pumps of the pumping station and updating, in a memory of the pump controller, the pumping station profile to be sent.

13. A storage medium containing computer readable instructions for execution by a processor to thereby perform operations comprising:

receiving, from the computational device and with a pump controller of the pumping station, a request for a pumping station profile, the pumping station profile comprising a plurality of parameters relating to the pumping station; and

sending, from the pump controller and to the computational device, the pumping station profile.

14. A pump controller configured to:

receive, from the computational device and with a pump controller of the pumping station, a request for a pumping station profile, the pumping station profile comprising a plurality of parameters relating to the pumping station; and

send, from the pump controller and to the computational device, the pumping station profile.

15. A pump controller for a remote pumping station, the pump controller configured to:

receive, from a computational device via the Internet, a request for a pumping station profile, the pumping station profile comprising a plurality of parameters relating to the pumping station; and

send, to the computational device via the Internet, the pumping station profile.

16. A pump controller as claimed in claim 15 which, prior to sending the pumping station profile and subsequent to re-configuring pumps of the pumping station, is configured to update the pumping station profile to be sent.

17. A pump controller for a remote pumping station, the pump controller comprising:

a processor in communication with ports for connection to pumps, and in communication with a communications port for connection to a communications device; and

a memory either on-board or in communication with the processor, the memory containing a software product comprising;

routines for receiving, from a computational device via the Internet and the communications device, a request for a pumping station profile, the pumping station profile comprising a plurality of parameters relating to the pumping station; and

routines for sending, to the computational device via the Internet and the communications device, the requested pumping station profile.

18. A pump controller as claimed in claim 17, wherein the software product further comprises routines for updating the pumping station profile to be sent, prior to sending the pumping station profile and subsequent to re-configuring pumps of the pumping station.